Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/221505
lovely black and blue fruits. The finish of this wine is supple. Fred: Every time I think of Del Frisco's a big, hearty slab of beef comes to mind. But as I walk through the Grille I see every type of dish being served and enjoyed. Adem: This is definitely an upscale American grill. A lot of my regulars frequent the Double Eagle Steakhouse's around the country and the call us the "Baby Del's." I love it. Coming from Double Eagle's the menu here is so varied and fun. But it's still serious. Fred: You are open for lunch and dinner; how busy can it get in this perfect location? Adem: We are open for lunch, dinner and brunch on weekends, seven days a week. To give you an example, last Saturday we served 1,000 guests. Fred: You're here in the perfect beach location, facing the famed Santa Monica Pier sign. As I look at the wines in the cases, I'm struck by how the number of big-name Cabernets I'm seeing. Most of them are allocated. I can imagine the clientele, but are they show or sell? Adem: It's all sell. We questioned our list selections based on our other locations, but this is our first West Coast location. We thought okay, we're a grill, but we still sell lots of steaks. When we opened, we ran out of bone-in filets and tomahawk longbone steaks in two days. We also wondered, will this be only Napa wines, or can we play in Italy and France? And what about Argentina, Spain and the rest? So we started smaller and expanded the list as we discovered what our customers really wanted to drink. We've been open three months and we've seen where the trend is going—and to our surprise, there is no trend. We sell huge California Cabs, but the rest of the list moves as well. I had a VIP come in and grill me on Bordeaux vintages. He sat at the bar with a friend, ordered a burger and drank it with 2005 Mouton Rothschild. Fred: Go figure. So the suggestion here is very important. Adem: Yes, our guests here want the waitstaff and myself to demonstrate confidence and passion in our recommendations. We encourage the team to complete the Court of Master Sommelier's Level One and Certified Sommelier diplomas. Our corporate parent is totally behind education. It is our mission to have every one of our service staff complete, at the least, the Level One program. Even our CEO and home office staff have completed Level One. This demonstrates to our diners that we are all truly committed to the highest level of wine service and selection. Fred: I assume that means that you will be completing your Advance Diploma next year? Adem: (laughing) Fred, you have me on that one. But I will tell you that I have registered for April of 2014. I'm sure that I can count on your help preparing me. Fred: I'll invite you to one of my tasting groups. It will be a pleasure to see you at the examination table! Fred: So, I like to end with giving you the opportunity to share your wish for the world of wine. What would you like to see happen in the future? Adem: I'd love to see the world of Pinot Noir drinkers allow us to share other great varietals—my first choice would be Barbera— it's a perfect segue from where their palates have been trained. I want to expand their comfort zone, expand their horizon and expand their pleasure in wine appreciation. TP1213_001-33.indd 33 Adem and Fred tasted Pio Cesare's 2012 Cortese di Gavi and Ed Sbragia's 2009 Gino's Vineyard Zinfandel from Dry Creek. 11/22/13 8:38 PM